Finding Hope
by StelenaIsMySunshine
Summary: AU/AH. Hayley has kept a secret from everyone for the past five years but now, backed into a corner, she has no choice but to tell the truth... Klayley! (contains a few minor x-overs from The Vampire Diaries)
1. Chapter 1

_**Klaus and Hayley, AU/AH.**_ Lonely souls Niklaus and Hayley shared one alcohol-fueled, passionate night together and then moved on with their lives. Or at least they tried to. Klaus moved to New Orleans to find power and resurrect his family's flailing empire. Hayley stayed in Mystic Falls and tried to make a living as a waitress. She soon discovered that she was pregnant.

Flash-forward five years, and she has never told a soul who the father of her daughter Hope is. She never had any intention of doing so until fate forced her hand. Note: I have given Hayley's father a name. He's alive and kind of a dick so yeah… His name is Chris.

* * *

**Finding Hope**

Hayley didn't _do_ fear. As a rule. It was not an emotion that she cultivated, nor allowed herself to feel on a normal basis. But then again, this wasn't a normal situation. Far from it, actually.

She moved to the small bed and lightly ran her fingers over the soft golden-brown hair of her daughter. Her pride and joy, her _everything._ Literally, her _Hope._

She had never wanted to be a mother – she'd never really had one herself after all. She believed that she was a mess on a good day. She hadn't wanted to damage an innocent kid in any way and she had felt sure that she would. With the baby's DNA, it seemed inevitable.

When she first found out she was pregnant, she had seriously considered not having the baby at all. She had even gone so far as to book an appointment with the local Mystic Falls women's clinic. She vividly remembered sitting on a cold exam table in a cheap paper gown, legs trembling, waiting for the doctor. She'd had every intention of going through with the procedure to terminate her pregnancy but in the end, she left before she ever saw the doctor. She didn't know why but she didn't _want_ to have to say goodbye to the little life growing inside of her. She might suck at being a mother, she had reasoned then, but at least she wouldn't be alone anymore.

That was five years ago and she didn't regret having Hope for a second. She was in fact nursing a silent fear that her journey through motherhood would end all too soon.

She traced the line of Hope's cheek. The little girl's eyes were closed. She looked so pale as she slept. So unnaturally pale. And worse, her skin was cold. When this nightmare had first started, Hope had always been feverish and she'd cried a lot. Hayley would prefer that to this – the silence, the permeating chill. She wasn't stupid. She knew Hope didn't have a lot of time left. If Chris wasn't a match … God, help them.

Okay, yes, Hayley had other avenues to explore but she wasn't going to exorcise those options unless absolutely necessary. She knew there would be consequences, though no consequence could be greater than the loss of her daughter, the only person who she had ever truly given her heart to. She would ultimately do what it took to save her daughter but she hoped – no, she prayed, to a God she didn't believe in – that Chris would come through for her and Hope for once in his life.

She leaned over and gently pressed a kiss to Hope's cool cheek. She then reached for her tiny hand and held it for a long time until the door opened. Dr. Meredith Fell beckoned to Hayley.

Hayley brushed her messy brunette locks off her face. Then she took one last look at her daughter – wanting to memorize her, somehow – and followed Meredith into the hallway. Meredith had Hope's chart clutched in her hand and she wore a somber expression on her face. Hayley knew the truth in that moment.

"He's not a match – Chris is not a match, is he?" She already knew the answer but needed Dr. Fell to offer her some well, hope. No matter how shallow it was.

"I'm afraid not. I'm very sorry, Hayley."

"Me too," Hayley said hoarsely. "Me too." She pressed a hand to her mouth for a moment. Then she looked at Meredith again. "What's next? What do we do next?"

"We're running out of options here, Hayley," Meredith said in a soft, lilting voice. "We have Hope listed on the registry but it could take months, years, even, to find a match and I am sorry to say, truly I am, that we don't have the luxury of time.

"Hayley," Meredith addressed her, resting her hand on Hayley's in an attempt at a comforting gesture, "we've talked about this. The best option –"

"Is to find her biological father," Hayley said. She nodded. "I know. God, do I know. "

"Are you going to do it?"

Hayley sighed and crossed her arms. She looked in at her daughter so still in the bed that suddenly seemed much too large for the little girl. "Yeah. What choice do I have?"

XoXoXo

A few minutes and several nudgings later, Meredith had walked away. Hayley slumped into a nearby chair and buried her head in her hands. She only looked up when she heard footsteps approaching. She looked up into the green eyes of her father. She didn't really think of him as her father though which was why she called him "Chris".

"What do you want?" Hayley snapped.

"Hey, watch the tone, Hayley… Look, I know this is a hard time for you but you promised me three hundred bucks if I came down here to be tested."

Hayley's eyes flicked to his and she jumped to her feet. She glared at him. She had never wanted to hit anyone more than she did right now. "You came to collect huh?"

"Baby, you promised."

"Don't call me 'Baby'. Don't call me anything. I don't know why I expected any compassion from you, any understanding. Your granddaughter – your freaking granddaughter – may be dy-" She couldn't say the word. "She's _sick,_ Chris, really sick, and all you care about is your fucking payoff."

"You promised –" Chris started again but she shot up a hand to stop him.

"And you promised that you weren't always going to be such a shitty excuse for a father, such a fucking deadbeat," Hayley hissed. She waited for him to apologize but he didn't and honestly she wouldn't have forgiven him even if he did.

She had scrimped and saved what was left of her savings to get him here. Now she never wanted anyone gone from her life more. She yanked three crumpled hundred dollar bills from her pocket and threw them at him.

"Hayley-"

"Go to hell, Chris. _Burn_ there," Hayley said. She walked away as she heard him scrambling for the cash. He needed it. After all, he had a crippling gambling addiction to compensate for. She could be hurt but all she felt was disappointment that he hadn't saved her daughter. He had never done a damn thing for Hayley but he should have wanted to be there for Hope somehow. How could anyone turn away the sweet little girl?

_It would be too soon if she never saw Chris again._

She went back to Hope's room and dropped down into the chair beside her. She had spent so much time in that chair that she was thinking of writing on it _– "Hayley's ass was here"._ But she didn't have the energy and her sense of humor had gotten lost somewhere between the fear and all of the pain.

She sat there for a long time when suddenly she heard the door open. A cup of coffee was being stuck under her nose. She wrinkled her nostrils and then looked up at her best friend Tyler. "Thanks, really, but-"

"I know. The stuff they serve in the cafeteria here will put hair on your chest. But you need a pick-me-up and this was all I could think of to do."

She accepted the Styrofoam cup now. She didn't take a sip though, just held it in her hands, hoping its warmth would spread throughout her chilled body. She felt Tyler's big hands lightly drop onto her shoulders and he began to give her a massage. The Tyler of old might not have cared about her comfort but he had grown and matured over the years. Tragedy had a way of making one grow up fast and they had both seen more than their fair share of it.

The new and improved Tyler had loaned her a shoulder to lean on many times in the past few months and she appreciated it more than her flimsy words could communicate.

Tyler looked at Hope, his goddaughter. "How is the little fighter?"

"Not fighting quite as much as she used to," Hayley said in a quiet voice. "Tell me she'll be alright."

"I want to," Tyler said. "Hey, I _believe_ it. You'll see her through it; I know you will."

"I'm trying," Hayley said with a sigh.

"I take it your Dad isn't a match."

"No, he isn't." She shrugged. "Meredith says that I need to track down Hope's biological father."

"How do you feel about that?"

"I feel … sick," Hayley said. "Really sick and just extremely tired." She leaned back in the chair.

Tyler picked up the speed of his massage. His fingers almost bit into her skin through her sweater but it was okay. It didn't bother her. She appreciated the sentiment.

"You never talk about him_. Ever."_

Hayley nodded. "Well, some one night stands aren't worth mentioning," she said off-handedly. "But now I have no choice but to track him down."

"What if he decides he wants to be a part of Hope's life?"

"I'll cross that bridge when I come to it," Hayley said. "Hope getting better… That's what matters most at the moment."

Tyler nodded. "Yeah. And besides how bad can this guy really be?"

_Oh you have no idea,_ Hayley thought, feeling a twinge of guilt in her stomach. There were many reasons why she had never told anyone that Klaus Mikaelson was her baby daddy. One of them was currently massaging her shoulders. Tyler hated Klaus with a passion – with good reason - and Klaus hated Tyler still more. Hayley had always told herself that she was protecting Hope and Tyler by not revealing that Klaus was Hope's biological father, but now she wondered if she had done it just to protect herself…


	2. Chapter 2

_**Wow. The response to this story has been utterly humbling. I appreciate the support so much. Keep it up lol And to answer your questions, there are NO supernaturals, vampires, werewolves, etc. in this story. But that doesn't mean Klaus won't bite … haha Anyway, here we go…**_

**Chapter 2**

_**Two days later**_

It was eight-thirty in the morning but the city of New Orleans had been awake for hours. It was the kind of place where no one ever slept. It was a lively place but the sights, sounds, and bright, swirling colors were all lost on Hayley. She wasn't here to sight see after all. Not even close.

The taxi came to a jolting stop as a throng of people crossed the street. Tour-goers, no doubt. Hayley liked to think that if ever given the chance, she would explore the city herself, that no one would have to lead her around by the nose – she would just go and _do_.

Hayley looked questioningly at the driver. He was a big, burly man with tufts of salt and pepper hair. "How much longer until we're there?"

The cabbie didn't answer, just held up his hand, spreading his fingers wide. "Five minutes?" Hayley said. He nodded and she slumped back into her seat.

She dug her cell phone from her hemp purse and hit number one on speed dial. It rang once and she heard a familiar, husky voice fill the line. "Hey, I was just about to call you," Tyler said.

"Why? Is something-"

"Wrong? No. She's sleeping well. And no, I haven't left her side."

Hayley breathed a sigh of relief. "Thanks but why were you planning to call me?"

"Just to see how you're doing."

She sighed. "I'm not the one with leukemia, Tyler."

"I know but someone's gotta worry about you. You certainly don't."

"Hope needs me."

"And you're helping her – a lot. Just … Take a nap sometime, okay?"

"I tried to on the plane ride but I couldn't. This waiting around is making me chafe. If _He_ would just stop turning away my phone calls, I could be with Hope right now. But no, instead I had to fly out here just to get him to talk to me. He's the most unreasonable little shit."

"'He'," Tyler murmured. "Are you ever going to tell me his name? Tell me anything about him at all? Would I like him?"

"Yes. When the time is right. And no. I don't even like him and I _slept_ with him." Hayley felt that familiar twinge of guilt again. If Hayley brought Klaus back to Mystic Falls, as was her plan to save her kid, Tyler was going to freak. He and Klaus had a long, bitter history. It had started, predictably, over a woman and had eventually turned into an epic war. Tyler might end up hating her. She didn't relish the thought but Hope had to be her first priority.

"Okay I'll accept that … for now," Tyler said, breaking into her thoughts.

The taxi came to an idling stop and Hayley looked out the cracked window. A huge stone and mortar building was before her.

_Mikaelson Industries._

She sighed as the cabbie waved to her impatiently. "Tyler, I've got to go. Give Hope a kiss for me. And … thanks. Thanks for everything you've done."

_Please don't hate me,_ she added silently.

"See you soon and will do... You're welcome. Bye."

"Bye."

Hayley climbed out of the taxi and carefully counted out the fare, plus a small tip. She was running so low on funds. The airfare alone had nearly crippled her pocketbook but she would do anything to save her daughter, even sell her soul to the devil.

_A devil named Klaus._

XoXoxo

Hayley carried her small overnight bag into the building. It was bustling with activity. People ran every which way, but purposefully so, of course. Klaus, predictably, had all of his minions in check. She rolled her eyes and then approached the front desk. Well, it was more of a hub really. Five highly attractive women – all blondes – were behind the counter, fielding calls and organizing files.

One of the blondes finally looked up at her. Her icy blue eyes narrowed as she appraised Hayley - critically, _disapprovingly._ Hayley didn't flinch. She was used to people looking down on her like she was a piece of trash. She didn't care. She only cared about saving her little girl.

The blonde finally addressed her. "Can I help you?"

"I need to see Klaus – _Nikalus_ Mikaelson."

The woman wrinkled her nose at Hayley. "I am afraid that won't be possible."

Hayley glared at the blonde. She then studied the name on her white tag. "Look, _Sally,_ this is important. I really need to see Nikalus. This is a matter of life and death."

"Isn't it always?" Sally said under her breath. Hayley wanted to smack her but resisted. _For now._

"I can't allow you to see Mr. Mikaelson. He isn't accepting callers. He is far too busy, and since you haven't told me about the nature of your business here…"

Hayley growled at her. "Fine, you want to know? He's the father of my kid!"

Sally looked nonplussed. "If I had a dollar for every time someone came in here saying that…" She muttered it, but again, just loud enough for Hayley to hear.

Hayley couldn't resist now. She reached out and grabbed Sally by the lapels of her pressed white jacket, giving her a fierce shake. "Look, lady, I don't have time for this. Get Klaus on the phone right now!"

Sally stared at her with a startled expression in her eyes. Gasps spread throughout the lobby. _"Call him!"_ Hayley snapped. She let go of Sally only as she saw two burly security guards quickly approaching her.

Sally just firmly shook her head and Hayley was then grabbed roughly by the guards. They took her by either of her arms and started dragging her towards the front door. She kicked and screamed at them but they wouldn't let her go. They were about to heave her out the door – literally on her ass – when she heard an accented male voice speak up.

"_Unhand the young lady."_

Hayley got a good look at the man now. He was a tall, lean, and very dapper-looking man in his late thirties. "Let go of her," he reiterated. The man never raised his voice but the power behind his words was evident.

"Sorry, Mr. Mikaelson," the guards said in unison. They released Hayley. She straightened now. Hearing the man's name had given her a little hope.

"Never again will either of you manhandle a lady in this office," the man said to the guards. "Is that understood?"

The burly men nodded, looked at their feet and then the accented man waved them away. He turned to look at Hayley. "Are you hurt?"

She shook her head. "No. Just a little stunned. Talk about a warm, New Orleans welcome."

"We're not all such brutes."

Hayley didn't know what to say to that so she switched topics as she felt his eyes bore into her. "I assume you're related to Klaus – Niklaus," she amended.

He nodded. "I am. My name is Elijah. Now what business do you have with my brother?"

She crossed her arms. "Brother, huh? You don't seem a thing like him."

Elijah didn't say anything in response. He just continued watching her, waiting for her explanation.

"Look, I know this is going to sound like a line. A con, whatever, but it's the truth. Klaus and I – well, there's no Klaus and I - but we had a one night stand five years ago." She blushed. She never blushed but the way Klaus's brother was looking at her, she couldn't help it. He didn't look judgmental at all though, thankfully.

"Anyway, we made a daughter together. She's beautiful and sweet and perfect - the only thing I've ever done right. Apparently Klaus has women coming in here all the time calling him their Baby Daddy so you have a right to be suspicious, but I never wanted anything to do with him. I would have never come here if it weren't absolutely necessary."

Hayley fully expected Elijah to balk but he just gestured for her to continue. "My daughter is … She's dy –" Hayley again found that she couldn't say that horrible, bitter, nasty word. "She's really sick, Mr. Mikaelson. I know you don't know me from Adam but I _swear_ that I'm telling the truth. Klaus _is_ Hope's father. I don't want money. I just want to save my child."

Hayley felt a shameful tear dash down her cheek. Before she could wipe it away, Elijah was pulling a white handkerchief from the pocket of his double-breasted suit and offering it to her. Her hand shook as she took it from him. She quickly dabbed at her face. She never cried. It wasn't her thing. She thought tears were a weakness and she had lived her life trying to be strong because no one else could be so for her.

She was humiliated but Elijah said, "Don't be embarrassed. You've obviously been through a lot and I imagine, trying to hold it altogether by yourself. Well, no more. Come with me."

"Wait. What? You believe me?"

"Do you want me to?"

"Yes, of course, but I didn't think – after everything …"

"You're used to people turning you away, I gather. But not again. You won't be rejected here. Come now, let me take you upstairs to see Klaus."

"Seriously?"

"Seriously," he said, his lips twitching briefly in a smile.

She smiled a little too. "Thanks, Mr. Mikaleson."

_"Elijah._ Call me Elijah. Now that we're family, I believe that we should be on a first name basis."

"Alright," Hayley said. "I'm Hayley. Hayley Marshall."

Elijah nodded. "Come with me then, Hayley Marshall."

He then led her to the bank of elevators.

XoXoXo

"Do you have a picture?" Elijah asked her as they rode up in the elevator together. They were going to the thirtieth floor.

"Of my daughter?" Elijah nodded. "Yeah I do. Lots of them, actually."

Hayley pulled her wallet from her purse. She removed three pictures and handed them to Elijah. Their fingers lightly brushed but they both pretended not to notice. "Ahhh, she has Klaus's nose… His eyes. The rest of her is all you."

Hayley sighed. "I love her."

"I can see why. She has the most innocent, beautiful smile." He leaned close to show her one of the pictures. "How old is she here?"

"That was taken on her first birthday. It wasn't much of a party – couldn't afford it – but we had fun."

"I can tell. I think I see some telltale frosting on her little chin."

"Yeah. She loved that. I just hope –" She broke off for a moment. "That she has a lot more birthdays."

"We'll see to it that she does."

They faded into a not entirely uncomfortable silence. When they reached the top floor, Elijah looked at Hayley as they stepped out into a huge suite that could only be called _opulent._ Hayley was impressed by the look of everything. It was clear exactly how wealthy the Mikaelsons were, but she didn't care. She only cared about Hope. Hope was her reason for all of this.

"Stay here and fix yourself a drink while I tell Klaus what's going on."

"I can do it."

"No, I'd better soften the blow," Elijah said. "My brother, god help him, has a temper."

"I'm not scared of him."

"You might be wise to be. He will perceive you as having kept something from him and he never learned to share, regretfully."

Hayley rolled her eyes. "Fine, I'll stay here."

"Good. I'll come and get you as soon as I think it's wise to do so."

Hayley watched as Elijah walked away, slipping into a door across the corridor. Good God, what had she gotten herself into?

She spotted the wet bar and decided to have a drink. Just one. She didn't need to get drunk – no, look at where it had landed her last time! – but it would help take the edge off and give her something to do.

She fixed herself a warm scotch and sipped it slowly. She watched the closed door and wondered what going on in there. What was taking so long?

Against her better judgment, she edged to the door and hovered near it before pressing her ear against the fine oak paneling.

"Elijah, you cannot be serious," she heard Klaus saying. His accent was as thick as she remembered it. "You honestly think this woman is telling the truth. This is bloody madness."

"It's true, Niklaus."

"How much does this woman want – what's her name again?"

"Hayley Marshall and she doesn't want your money."

"Hayley… Hmm. Doesn't ring a bell. And all people want money, Elijah. Money brings power and status and that's what this greedy broad has come for, no doubt."

"Greedy broad?" Hayley echoed. Anger filled her veins. She was a lot of things but money hungry was not one of them.

"She's not greedy. Niklaus, this is not about capital. Something else brought her to town, something far more important."

"That's her story."

"Niklaus-"

"No, stop this, Elijah. It's ridiculous. Besides, what has having a bleeding heart ever done for you?" Klaus challenged his brother. "You like to take in the strays, but the truth is, that they are often ridden with fleas."

Hayley had heard quite enough. Klaus had called her greedy and now some kind of vermin-carrying animal. That was far more than she could take.

She set down the tumbler in her hand and practically heaved open the door. Elijah's eyes went wide. As did Klaus's.

"_Hayley?"_

"I see you recognize me after all, Klaus," Hayley hissed.

"What the hell do you want? Come to pawn a baby off on me, eh?"

"Hardly. I don't want your money. Not one drop. I want something else entirely."

"Oh let me hear this," Klaus said facetiously. He was smirking though said smirk was laced with a measure of menace.

"My daughter is very sick. She needs a bone marrow donor before it's too late. I need you to be tested, to see if you're a match. Scratch that! I _demand_ it. I am not leaving here until you agree to be tested."

Klaus's smirk had faded away and fire filled his eyes. "Well see then, luv, we have a problem because no one orders me around. _No one!"_


	3. Chapter 3

_**Well I wrote and rewrote this chapter about a dozen times and I'm still not sure if it's any good but here you go. I tried to channel the Klaus from episode 1 of The Originals – the one who (initially) didn't give a crap about anyone - including his baby. So if he seems harsh here, that's actually what I was going for. I hope I accomplished it. Thanks for all the reviews thus far. They are so appreciated!**_

**Chapter 3**

"_Niklaus,"_ Elijah said in a warning voice. Hayley crossed her arms and glared at him, daring him to do his worst. Klaus pressed on without heeding.

"_No one_ orders me to do anything," Klaus reiterated. "Far worthier adversaries have tried and let me tell you, they suffered – greatly."

"I am _not_ your enemy! Besides, this isn't about you," Hayley shot back. "Good God, this involves a sick child! One that you could possibly save if you'd only get your head out of your ass."

"That is assuming that I am the child's father. And you know what they say about assumptions…"

"There was no one else, Klaus!_ No one. _So once again, I am demanding – yes, _demanding _- that you come back with me to Mystic Falls and take the test to see if you're a bone marrow match."

Klaus smirked. "Still issuing ultimatums? What makes you think I owe you a damn thing?"

"You don't owe me anything. However, you do owe _your kid._ She will -" Hayley paused for a moment; it was so hard to say the word –_"die_ if she doesn't get a bone marrow donation. Do you really want her death on your conscience?"

"You're assuming I have a conscience."

Hayley went on undeterred. "If she dies and you could have helped her… There will be nowhere you can hide from me."

Klaus's smirk disappeared and he glared at her. Anyone else would have been intimidated by the wicked glint in his eyes. Hayley was not just anyone though – she was the mother of a very sick child and she was very determined. If she had to knock out Klaus and hog-tie him to get on the roof of the plane, she would do just that.

"You are awfully confidant. Some might even say foolhardy."

"I will do anything for my daughter, Klaus. If you have a soul, you won't let her… die… just because you're pissed off."

Klaus narrowed his eyes. Elijah immediately got between the warring parents. He looked at his brother. "Niklaus, please calm yourself and take a walk with me."

"I don't need you telling me what to do, Brother. No one-" he looked at Hayley –"especially _she _can intimidate me."

Elijah looked at Hayley. "You'll have to excuse my brother. This shock has rendered him completely and totally without tact." He forcefully yanked on the sleeve of Klaus's jacket and pushed him towards the door.

Klaus looked back at Hayley. "Do make yourself comfortable," he said sarcastically. "Try some vodka from the wet bar. I seem to remember that you have a special affinity for it."

Elijah shoved Klaus out the door. Klaus looked ready to kill him for his audacity. Hayley watched them go and then sunk into the nearest chair. Her legs simply, _finally_, gave out on her.

XoXoXo

"Niklaus, that was incredibly bad form," Elijah chastised his brother though he kept his voice even. Elijah Mikaelson was not one to be so easily be riled. Far from it actually, but he would do what was necessary to ensure that his brother went on to save his child. Elijah believed with all of his heart that Hayley was telling the truth. One could not fake the look of pain in her eyes when she had revealed that her beloved child was in need.

Klaus shrugged. "What do I owe her? _Nothing."_

"But you owe _your child."_ Elijah and Klaus climbed on the elevator and Elijah pressed down on the number one. He would drag Klaus all around the whole city if necessary to talk some sense into him.

"Why am I not surprised that you're siding with her? A pretty face and doe eyes always have been your downfall. You are especially susceptible to the feminine wiles of brunettes. Katherine, of course, immediately comes to mind."

Elijah shook his head. "Niklaus, I do believe with all of my heart that this woman is being sincere and truthful. She is no Katherine Pierce. She is not trying to manipulate us. She is not asking for money or anything of the sort."

"Not yet."

"Niklaus, stop this juvenile behavior. A child – _your_ child – will certainly die if you don't agree to be tested. While there can be no guarantee that you will be a match, at least you will have tried. And if worse comes to worst, you owe it to your daughter to make her last moments as comfortable as possible."

Klaus snarled. "In other words, you want me to attempt to bond with a child who will just go and die on me?"

_"Me, me, me._ Listen to yourself, Klaus. Once again, this isn't about you. It's about a suffering child. You must do what is right."

"When have you ever known me to do so?"

"You are a good man, Niklaus. You have the potential to be a _great_ one if only you allow yourself to feel for the plight of others." The elevator doors sluiced open and they walked out. "Look about you, Niklaus. You have built an incredibly successful empire but you lack the one thing that makes a person truly powerful – _a family."_

"I have all the family I need in you, our sister and brothers. I need no more relations. I have enough problems controlling all of you as it is."

Elijah shook his head. "Therein lies the problem. You can't control people, Niklaus. You cannot demand of them to bend to your will. If you give them loyalty and understanding, however, it will be returned. I have stood by you – all of us have - even when it was most difficult. I never have asked anything of you until now. I am imploring you here – don't let an innocent child suffer just because you are angry. You know the truth, Niklaus – that if you let your child - god forbid - die, you will never forgive yourself."

"'My child, my child'. You and_ she_ keep tossing those words about but they are just words dammit. Elijah, I know nothing of that little girl. I don't know a thing about her - how old she is; what she looks like; or even her name. Why couldn't _she_ have told me about the child before all of this shit began?"

"Maybe because, Niklaus, 'she' knew you would act just this way." Klaus went to protest but Elijah held up his hand. "You may press Hayley for answers about her decisions at another time. For now, you need to focus on the life of your child."

"There is it again … Tell me, Elijah. How am I to bond with a child I know nothing about? She likely knows nothing of me either."

"You will both need to learn about each other then."

"I never asked for a child. I never wanted one, let alone with some woman I hardly know a thing about. I feel nothing but scorn for Hayley and this betrayal is one I can never forgive."

"That is your right then, but Brother, if you condemn your daughter to death because you're angry, then are you not just as bad as our father?"

Klaus's eyes blazed. "Don't you ever dare compare me to that insufferable monster. He destroyed my life."

"He did. He lacked mercy and empathy. You never knew his love or affection, Niklaus. Do you want your child to suffer the same fate, the same condemnation?"

"I don't know why you are so hell-bent on pushing this obligation onto me."

"Because I know that you will forever regret your actions otherwise. Your self-loathing will be endless... An innocent child is involved here, Niklaus, and though you wish to appear intimidating, indifferent and most of all, apathetic, so as to never be hurt, I believe that you are a good man."

"You think far too highly of me, Elijah, but then you've always been on a mission to save me from my self, to help me find salvation."

"Niklaus, please be rational here. March right upstairs and tell Hayley that you want to save your child. That you will do whatever it takes to do so."

Klaus looked towards the elevator. "If I were to do this, I am asking for something in return from you - that you will not try to broker peace between Hayley and I. There can be no peace between us when she cheated me out of what is mine."

"I won't try to make you best friends. Far from it. I will simply ask for you to grant her some measure of civility for she suffers greatly too. She has had to sit by and watch her beloved child waste away before her eyes. In some ways, she has spared-"

_"Spared me?"_ Klaus bellowed. "She spared me nothing. Rather she cheated me. She-"

"Niklaus," Elijah said, lightly grasping his arm, "in the words of a wise person, not everything is about you. Straighten up and do the right thing."

Klaus growled at him. "I need to get over this, do I?"

"You need to get over _yourself._ The second you learned that you were a father, it was no longer about you. Everything is about the little one. Now go upstairs and pack your bags. We are going to Mystic Falls."

"You're coming too? Why - you don't trust me not to kill the woman on the flight?"

"No, I trust you, Nikalus."

"Maybe more than I deserve, don't you think?"

"Don't put words in my mouth… The truth is that I want to be tested too. The little one is my blood and I could be a match, possibly. I am praying that at least one of us is. I know you don't want to lose the child before you even get to know her."

Klaus said nothing as he spun on his heel and marched back towards the elevator.

XoXoXo

Hayley heard voices coming from outside the door and quickly tried to wipe away her tears, but it was too late; Klaus and Elijah had seen them.

"Dry you tears, Hayley," Klaus said. "I will do as you demand, but not for you – for my child."

"Good," Hayley said. "And for the record, I never wanted a damn thing from you before this."

"I am warning you now. If you have lied about any of this-"

"Don't threaten me, Klaus. Other people may be afraid of you but I'm not."

"You would be wise to never cross me again."

Elijah sighed and looked at Hayley. "Would it help the cause if I came to be tested too?"

Hayley nodded. "Yes, very much."

Elijah nodded. "I am glad to help my family, and you are family now."

"Thank you," Hayley said. She looked at Klaus. "And … thank you too."

"Was that very painful?" Klaus asked. Hayley just shook her head. "Never mind then. I will have the jet fueled up and alert the captain that we wish to fly to Virginia. Be ready in thirty minutes."

Hayley nodded and watched Klaus walk to the door. She was surprised when he turned around and looked at her. "What is her name?"

_"Hope."_

Klaus just nodded and walked out the door.

**I promise there will be more Klaus and Hayley interaction in the next chapter. Klaus will also get to meet his daughter!**


End file.
